Pillow Fight Location!

Location: Cambridge Common

1) Only bring standard non-feather pillows in non-zippered pillow cases! That means absolutely no bean bag pillows, no couch cushions, and of course...no feathers! This allows us to keep the clean up simple and to minimize the impact on our surroundings.

Pillow Fight, 2014 Edition!

Date: April 5th 2:55PMLocation: TBA @ 11:59pm, 4/4

For the 8th(!) year running, Boston is participating in International Pillow Fight Day, when lovers of hitting other people with pillows celebrate their love of hitting other people with pillows. You don't want to miss it, and we don't want you to miss it!

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Arrive by 2:55pm, so you can participate in the 3pm-sharp Running of the Pillows! You'll hear a very obvious signal letting you know when it's time to begin.

The guidelines for this pillow fight are pretty straight forward:

1. Do not bring beanbag pillows, feathered pillows, and zippered pillows -- this is to minimize clean-up and injuries!2. Don't hit anyone without a pillow or holding a camera!3. If you are wearing glasses, make sure you take them off... trust us.4. Go all out!

Costumes are of course encouraged. This event is family-appropriate!

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We will announce the location at 11:59 on Friday, April 4. Check out this space, sign up for our listserv (on right), or look at the Facebook event

Gift Swap Location!

Date: November 23rd 1:00PMLocation: Boston Common

Saturday's observance of the Holiday Mashup Gift Swap will be held on the Boston Common.

Two very important things to keep in mind:

1) This is not a long event. There's always a person or two who arrives too late, and we don't want that happening ever again! We are starting at 1pm, so don't miss out!

2) In keeping with the don't-be-late message of point #1, we are lead to understand that this weekend the T will be using shuttle buses between Kendall and Park. So if you're coming from Camberville, please take those delays into account.

Holiday Mashup Gift Swap

Date: November 23rd 1:00PM

Approximately every ten-thousand years or so a momentous event occurs: Hanukkah overlaps with the great holiday of Thanksgiving, giving rise to Thanksgivukkah (which is too a thing). This once-in-an-aeon event got us thinking... Why should those two festivals have all the fun? Which other holidays could be mashed up? And wouldn't a multi-holiday celebration be the perfect opportunity to exchange homemade gifts?

This year, don't just observe one holiday at a time! Pick two (or more!) of your favorites, mash 'em together, and create something new! Have you ever celebrated Evacuarbor Day, when George Washington forced the trees to flee Boston? Or how about good ol' Halloster, when you hide eggs whenever children ring your doorbell. The calendrical choice is up to you!

The straightforward guidelines:-Please don't bring food-based gifts. Giving someone an allergic reaction isn't very festive!-Please bring a homemade gift. We have no idea what holiday portmanteau you're going to come up with, but we know that DIY is traditional!-Even with your festive costume, remember to dress warmly. We don't want to be responsible if you catch cold.

So start designing your gift and stitching the traditional garb of your chosen holiday mashup, then join us for a Banditos Misterosos Gift Swap like none other!

SANDMANDITO!

Date: August 17th 11:00AMLocation: Revere Beach

Hey cool kids, that Watergun Battle was a blast! But there was something seriously missing: THE BEACH!

We already know from Snowmandito during this year’s blizzard that you’re all master sculptors, so let’s move the hijinks to the coast and see what you can create in sand for our first ever... SANDMANDITO!!

RSVP on Facebook, bring your sunblock and sand sculpting tools (like spatulas, water spray bottles, toothpicks, spoons, drinking straws, buckets, and trowels) to use and share, then spread out your blankets and stay for a chill day playing in the waves.

There are many techniques to keep sand sculptures from falling over - but please use only sand and water (no additives) to keep the beach clean. And for those of you feeling like true professionals, bring some sticks and colored rope to cordon off your sculpture and hang a title and team name, if desired, for your admiring fans - but please remember to take them with you when you leave.

When: Saturday August 17th, 11:00am - 2:00pmWhere: Revere Beach, across from the Blue Line stop

Water Gun Fight 2013

Maybe you love spring with its blooms, or you think it’s an allergy nightmare. Summer may be your time to enjoy the beach, or maybe to you it’s three miserable months of sweat. Perhaps you love the colorful leaves and crisp air of autumn, or it could be all you see is raking and back-to-school shopping. It could be you’re a winter person who loves nothing more to wake up to fresh snow, or you just see long nights and lots of shoveling.

This year’s water gun battle is going to give you the chance to fight for your side! On Saturday, July 20th @ 1:00 pm join us for a wet and wild battle royale to determine once and for all which season rules them all.

Banditos Misterifotos Guidelines

Teams will meet here on Saturday, June 15th @ 11am. If you don't come with a team, you can join one! From the event's start, teams have 24 hours to take as many photos as they can and must upload them to our website by Sunday @ 11am. Albums must contain your team name and each photo must be labeled with the corresponding clue number.

If you can't make the in-person start, the Clue Sheet will be posted online by 1pm on Saturday -- but some clues may require that you be there in person, so don't miss out!

Banditos Misterifotos II

Date: June 15th 11:00AMLocation: Boston Common

You may love Boston, but do you *know* Boston? There's only one way to find out... participate in our photo scavenger hunt, Banditos Misterifotos!

On the morning of Saturday, June 15, we'll all meet on the Common to distribute the clue list. Spend the day deciphering our super-clever prompts, running around town, and taking as many pictures as you can! Upload all photos to our website within 24 hours to be entered into the competition for:

- The Most Photos!- The Funniest Photo!- The Cleverest Photo!- The Artsiest Photo!- The Critics' Choice Photo!- The People's Choice Photo!

Thank You!

One last, and very big, thank you to all of you who came out yesterday for our first ever Trivia in the Park! And congratulations again to our big winners, team "We've always been at war with Eurasia"!

For those of you who may have missed out on yesterday's fun, you can see all of the questions that were asked by going here: http://bit.ly/16HTrHB

Trivia in the Park is TODAY!

It’s going to be a beautiful day today! (phew) So for a final bit of preparation, here’s a list of things you should probably plan on bringing:

• A pen or pencil• A hard surface to write on• A blanket and/or chairs• A nice picnic lunch or takeout.

That’s it! Heck, you don’t even need to bring any teammates! If you’re having trouble finding people to join your team, or your friends bailed on you last minute, just come on down anyway! Your friendly trivia event organizer will help set you up with other people in the same boat.

Pillow Fight Thanks!

Thanks so much for coming to Boston's celebration of International Pillow Fight Day 2013! We were amazed by the turnout and grateful for the beautiful day. Of course, feel free to check out some of this sweet news coverage.

If you have any pictures or video from the event, you can click here to submit the link to our website. That way everyone will be able to see what wonderful pictures you were able to take while hundreds of people were pummeling you with pillows!

Thanks so much to all of you for making this event such a blast!

And on that note, we would now like to announce a brand new Banditos event...

Trivia in the Park

NOTE: DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE DATE OF THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO MAY 18TH.

We know you love trivia. But WHAT IF...

• Instead of one picture round there were SIX?• And you didn’t feel obligated to order a $20 meal?• And there were lots of different people asking the questions, some of whom were wearing strange outfits?• And the questions were really, really hilarious, like soooooo hilarious?• And some questions might involve INTERACTIVE components?

We’ve been wondering those things too. Which is why we are super excited to announce our first ever... Trivia in the Park, Saturday May 18th, at 12:30pm! Here’s what you need to do to play:

Get a Team TogetherJust invite your friends like any other trivia event! There is no formal registration process for getting your team together. But RSVPing on Facebook is probably a good way to spread the word. (Note: we will be applying the “teams of more than six can play but can’t win” rule.)

Pack a PicnicFeel free to bring some lunch to eat while you play! You may also want to bring a blanket and/or lawn chairs.

Pillow Fight Location Announcement

We are excited to announce that the pillow fight will be taking place at North Point Park, at this exact location:

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THESE IMPORTANT RULES!

1) Only bring standard non-feather pillows in non-zippered pillow cases! That means absolutely no bean bag pillows, no couch cushions, and of course...NO FEATHERS! This allows us to keep the clean up simple and to minimize the impact on our surroundings.

International Pillow Fight Day 2013

Date: April 6th 2:55PMLocation: TBA

Seven years down, seven years awesome. Banditos Misteriosos is proud to announce that the tradition continues - for the seventh year in a row, Boston will again be participating in International Pillow Fight Day 2013!

This is just a short list of the over 140+ cities involved worldwide, with Boston being the second largest this past year with 1,200+ participants. Invite your friends, family and co-workers. Spread the word! Let’s put Boston on the World Pillow Fight Map once again!

For those who don't know about these pillow fights, they are quite fun and simple!

Show up at 2:55pm, remain inconspicuous to the best of your abilities. Hide your pillow in bags, big jackets...random trees.

At 3pm, you'll hear the very obvious signal, rush in and pillow fight away.

The rules for this pillow fight are pretty straight forward:

1. Bring a pillow, a soft one is preferred.2. No feathered pillows - let's keep the mess low.3. Don't hit anyone without a pillow4. If you are wearing glasses, make sure you take them off.5. Don't hit people with cameras6. Go all out!

Snowmandito

Date: February 9th 12:00PMLocation: Seven Hills Park, Davis Square

Aloha Banditos!

Here at Banditos headquarters, we've been feeling a deep winter chill that no amount of hot chocolate can chase away. Luckily, we think we've thought up the solution for the February Blues. You may have heard we are in for a "snowpocalypse" this weekend, and you know what they say - if life gives you 15 inches of snow, make lots and lots of snowmen. With that, we have the pleasure of announcing one of our very rare, circumstance-dependant events: SNOWMANDITO!

The idea is simple. This Saturday, we hope that our fair city will be blanketed with snow. You, the illustrious denizens of this metropolis, will gather at noon--or whenever you can get there!--in Seven Hills Park (by Davis Square). Bring rocks, carrots, old scarves, cigars, corncob pipes, food coloring, fairy princess crowns, horse masks, and other accoutrements of your choosing to fulfill our destiny: building a snowman army.

Spread the word! We want to see small snowmen, big snowmen, snowdogs, snowcats, snowladybugs, entire families of snowmen, and non-gender specific snowpeople. Show us what you got, and bring your friends and family. We can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Company-Wide Gift Swap

Date: November 17th 12:00PMLocation: Cambridge Common

TO: Company Personnel

FROM: Banditos Misteriosos

RE: Company Retreat Gift Swap Announcement

Attention all employees:

Please mark SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17th in your calendars as the date of the annual company-wide, group-synergy, budget-wasting, Do-It-Yourself retreat and gift swap. As in years past, we ask all employees to bring a hand-made, non-edible gifts to swap with others. As not in years past, the retreat will no longer feature Shannon from Accounts Receivable leading us in a session of furniture yoga or Bill giving his award-winning presentation, "Powerpoints and YOU." In its stead, Ted from Sales Force Alpha has promised a special surprise.

We will be announcing the location for this exciting opportunity in a few weeks.

- Week-old English muffins from the back of the break room refrigerator. We told you to clean that out!- An old, soiled something you don't want anymore- A bag of candy that you picked up from the supply closet (those are for meetings only!)- Food of any type. OSHA mandates that you don't know what dietary restrictions your giftee will have.

Location Announcements Sent!!!

The location announcements for the event today have been sent out! If you feel like you didn't receive your email, check your spam folder.

If you still need help, email contact@misteriosos.org.

CYOA2012 Registrations Closed

For the first time in Banditos history, we have unfortunately needed to close off registrations for one of our events! Due to a very high level of demand for this year’s Choose Your Own Adventure and a limited number of groups that we can serve during the event, we needed to cap the amount of people registering.

Thank you for your understanding and we hope to see you at one of our other events in the future!

-The Banditos

Choose Your Own Adventure 2012

Date: September 29th 1:00PMLocation: TBA

Banditos Misteriosos is excited to announce that this year’s Choose Your Own Adventure will be held on Saturday, September 29th! Our biggest and most unique event of the year is shaping up to be even bigger and uniquer due to a generous grant received from The Awesome Foundation. That means props! Costumes! Maybe even a few expensive surprises!

For those of you joining this event for the first time, our Choose Your Own Adventure is just like one of those books that you (or your parents) read as a child. But instead of boring words on a boring page, your story is played out in front of you by a team of enthusiastic actors spread out across the city. Each of the characters you meet will give you a choice that affects the outcome of your story. You’ll also have fun puzzles to solve and games to play in order to advance the plot. The end result is a truly unique experience dependent on the actions you’ve taken. How your tale ends is up to you!

In this year’s story, you’re a student at Mapleridgepark Elementary. You and your classmates in Mrs. Higgins’ 4th grade class will be going on a field trip to the local petting zoo. What happens next is completely up to you! Will it just be another boring day at the petting zoo? Or will it be a thrilling day at the petting zoo, full of action, intrigue, and the fate of the universe hanging in the balance? The answer may surprise you! So pack your lunches, get a full night’s rest, and make sure you bring your signed permission slip (PDF), because this will be the best field trip where-nothing-at-all-unexpected-or-unusual-happens you've ever had!

When exactly does the event start and how long does it last?The event will start anywhere from 1pm to 4pm, depending on the start time that you will receive. The story will take you around two to three hours to complete.

Where will the starting location be?On midnight of the day before we will email you with the starting location and your group’s start time. The starting location will definitely be accessible by MBTA subway.

Is this event family friendly?Yes! We have had lots of families participate in this event in years past. Plus, this year we are making an extra effort to have separate versions of the puzzles and tasks that will be geared more towards an elementary aged difficulty level.

What will the group sizes be?We will be forming groups of 6 to 8.

What if my group is less than 6 people?If your group has fewer than 6 people, we’ll put you together with another smaller group and you'll make new friends for life / an afternoon. When combining smaller groups, we will try our best to not put family groups with non-family groups.

What if my group is more than 8 people?That’s fine too. You all can participate together. Just anticipate that some stations will be set up for six to eight people so not everyone in your team will be able to participate in every task.

Does everyone in my group need to register?Yes! The planning of this event is very highly dependent on knowing exactly how many participants we’ll have. Please make sure all of your friends who plan to attend register on our webpage.

What happens if it rains on the 29th?Our rain date is Sunday, September 30th. If it’s also raining on the 30th we’ll try Saturday October 6th. Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty of emails about any changes in date.

What / how do we win?This event isn't about winning or losing! It's about being a part of a truely unique experience. And at the end you'll probably get some kind of (hopefully impressive) memento to remind you of the day.

Is it fun?Of course! You might even call it "intellectual," like in this wonderful blog about last year’s event.

Water Battle 2012 Location Announced!

The location of this year's epic water battle has been announced to those who registered!

If you did not receive the announcement email when you thought you should have, try checking your spam folder (and then setting "contact@misteriosos.org" to never be spam again). Or just try registering again.

Water Gun 2012: See Something, Spray Something

Date: July 14th 2:00PMLocation: TBA

DING DONG

Attention Boston: The next Banditos train to Funville is now approaching!

That's right folks, the Banditos Misteriosos' 5th Annual Water Gun Fight is coming up! This year our theme is the MBTA: After a long hot week of cramming onto the T to join the rat race with your fellow working stiffs, students, and other assorted sad sacks, blow off some steam this summer by joining us on Saturday, July 14th for a four-way battle royale to see which train line reigns supreme. The location will be announced at midnight the night before the event, but it will NOT actually be on a train and definitely won't be the Esplanade this time.

So fill your tanks, ready your watery weapons, and pick out your finest orange, blue, red, or green attire (sorry Silver Line, everybody knows you're a bus). Register by clicking here, and join us for the metaphorical ride of your life! Bonus points will be awarded to participants who dress up in T-related costumes. (Points will be distributed in the form of water.)

Until then, stay cool, stay dry, and remember: if you see something, spray something!

<3,The Banditos

P.S. Sign up early to represent the T of your choice. Latecomers will be subject to schedule adjustments.

P.P.S. The fight will not actually be on the T. Please do not spray anybody on the T

And congratulations to all the participants! Looking through the 32 albums we were blown away by the creativity and fun-lovingness on display. If you haven't yet seen the album of our favorite photos, check it out now!

Keep groovin',Banditos <3

The Clues!

And now for those groups not able to make the in person start time, here's the link to download the clue sheet!

Remember, if you're not in Boston... no problem! You can do the non Boston clues, and if you get creative with the others, we'll still give you points!

Looking forward to seeing your photos tomorrow at noon!

Misterifotos Guidelines!

Below are the guidelines for Banditos Misterifotos. Please follow these rules for uploading your albums to our website. Oh, and have fun!

FAQQ: Do I have to do this by myself?A: Gosh no! We encourage teams to participate. If you want to fly solo, however, be our guest!

Q: There's a ton of cool stuff going on in Boston that day, why should I choose yours over another?A: You can do both! We've structured the event so that you can attend some of the great other events happening on May 19 (in fact, you may even have to...)

Q: I won't be able to make the 11am starting time, either because of my schedule or because I don't live in the area, but I really want to take some pictures. Can you send me the list?A: We'll be posting the task list online a few hours after the in-person start time. Check our Facebook page and sign up for our email list (at right) to know when it's up!

Q: I won't have all afternoon to take pictures, should I still participate?A: Heck yes! We encourage everyone to take as many pictures as they can. We also encourage you to upload them after the deadline--you won't be eligible to win a contest, but we'd still love to see what you come up with!

Q: Contest?A: Yep, we'll have three contests based on the photos!

Q: And they are...?A: Oh, right! 1) The most artistic picture. 2) The funniest picture. 3) The team that gets the most points (aka, takes the most photos).

**Photos should be organized into one album, which should include your team name. Please organize the photos in the order the clues are listed. The photos should also include the clue number somewhere in the photoďż˝s description. Photos without a task number will not be considered, sorry!

**If there is a space to do it, it would be super cool if you could tag your photos and albums with #misterifotos.

Banditos Misterifotos

Date: May 19th 11:00AMLocation: Boston Common

Make sure your camera batteries are charged and your memory cards are empty, because the next Banditos Misteriosos event is a Photo Scavenger Hunt!

On Saturday, May 19, we will challenge you to photograph as much of our misterioso list of tasks as you can in a day. We will gather together at 11am to disseminate the list, but we'll be posting it online a couple hours later if you can't be there in person. You have until noon on May 20 to upload the records of your day onto our website. Then, our crack team of judges will... judge... each team's (or individual's) offering to the photo gods. Winners will be declared! Fun will be had! Photos will be scavenged!

A Great Big Thank You - Pillow Fight 2012

Hello revelers,

The Banditos would like to extend a great big THANK YOU for making the pillow fight so awesome on Saturday! We were so happy to see all of you at North End Park - old familiar faces as well as new - making the 5th annual Banditos pillow fight a success.

A few new measures to ensure everyone's safety, including pillow inspectors to guarantee fair play and no feathers, really made this fight better and funner than ever. A three minute clean-up - that's a personal best! Thank you for all of your help and participation, we (obviously) couldn't have done it without you.

Pillow Fight Location Annoucement

Well fellow Banditos, it is once again time for our favorite holiday of the year - International Pillow Fight Day!! Oh gosh we are excited.

This year's pillow fight, to better accommodate our brethren attending PAX East, will be at North End Park! Just get off at Government Center (green line), State Street (orange line), or Aquarium (blue line), and you're there!

Remember:

~ BRING A PILLOW!~ Arrive by 2:55 - the signal to start will be at precisely 3:00 pm!~ Avoid hitting cameras, glasses, and people without pillows~ Please no feather or hurty pillows! Feather pillows make a mess, and pillows with zippers or tassels can hurt your fellow participants :( We will have extra-special pillow inspectors before the battle, making sure this fight is as fun and safe as possible.

Get Out The Vote!

The Banditos are feeling the love this winter! We're up for not one, but TWO awards - one from the Boston Phoenix for "Best Spontaneous Event", and one from the New England Art Awards for "Best Public Exposure" for last September's Choose Your Own Time-venture.

We'd be ever so grateful if you would vote for us, so maybe more people would enjoy the events that we so enjoy making for you. Viva Banditos!

International Pillow Fight Day 2012

Date: April 7th 3:00PMLocation: North End Park

The Banditos Misteriosos are very very excited to announce International Pillow Fight Day 2012! This holiday is celebrated the world over, from Budapest to Beijing, and this marks our 5th annual participation.

DIY Gift Swap 2011: Homecoming Dance

Date: November 12th 2:00PMLocation: JFK Park

Dust off those letter jackets, iron out your formal wear, and get ready to root for the home team... because it's almost time for the 2011 Banditos Homecoming Dance! Which is really just our way of presenting...

The 4th Annual Banditos Misteriosos Do-It-Yourself Gift Swap!

Folks, it's been a while since we've seen your smiling faces, and as fall rolls into winter, we figured a homecoming-themed gift swap was just what the doctor ordered. We'll provide the ambiance, the bad 90's music, and the smarmy photographer; you provide the embarrassing memories of years past, the awkward small-talk with people who haven't seen each other in ages... and, of course, the gifts!

The concept is simple: Bring something special, home-made, unique, and wrapped, which you'll end up giving to a complete stranger. You'll have no idea who's going to get it; our interactive, silly, secret, wacky wonky Banditos formula will determine that. And in return, you'll go home with your own special, home-made, unique, and wrapped gift from another complete stranger -- all with a cozy aura of sentimental nostalgia.

In past years, we've seen some really awesome home-made gifts, and we've decided to up the ante this year by making DIY gifts a requirement, as opposed to the "let me find some piece of junk I don't want anymore"-method. You don't have to be a masterful artisan to participate. We just ask that you put some thought, care, and TLC into what you bring.

GOOD EXAMPLES OF GIFTS:

- Handmade crafts: knitting, collage, pottery, art, etc... show off your mad skillz!- Personalized mix CD: share your favorite music and make a cool cover!- Homemade clothing accessories: scarves, mittens, what-have-you!- A unique decoration or ornament for the giftee's home or office!- And many more!

NOT-SO-GOOD EXAMPLES OF GIFTS:

- Week-old English muffins from the back of your cupboard- An old, soiled something you don't want anymore- A bag of CVS-brand candy that you picked up on the way to the event- Food (yes, even homemade... you don't know what dietary restrictions your giftee will have)

It's pretty simple: don't give something you wouldn't want to get. Be creative! Be resourceful! Make it fun!

We hope to see you there! The magic happens at JFK Park, in Cambridge.

If you’d like to dress up for a homecoming dance, fantastic! Otherwise, just bring your *wrapped* gift!

Choose Your Own Time-venture

Date: September 17th 1:00PMLocation: TBA

Time may keep on slipping, but a Banditos Misteriosos Choose Your Own Time-venture is forever. And by forever, we mean September 17 from 1pm to 5pm. That's right, last year's favorite summer event is now being presented to you in September, for your complete autumnal enjoyment.

Our 'Choose Your Own Time-Venture' is essentially what would happen if a Scavenger Hunt and a Choose Your Own Adventure story had a child and forced it to watch the 'Back to the Future' trilogy, 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure', and 'Time Bandits' on an infinite loop. Teams will start in one location and be given various tasks and choices to make as per the ridiculously entertaining story we've devised.

"The Story?" You ask? Well, you see... the American Bureau of Chronological Defense, the government's super elite time travel department, is holding open recruitment. And they've invited you to find out if you have what it takes to right temporal wrongs and safeguard chronological correctness!

Specifics:-- This event is 100% free! We just ask that you register beforehand, so that we have some idea of the number of participants. Fill out our handy dandy form and you'll be on your way!-- This event isn't about competition, and it's certainly not about "winning". It's about creating a story with your teammates. As such there is no definite start time; teams will start their story on a rolling basis, from 1 to 3 pm. (You will be assigned a half-hour block in which to arrive; if you need a specific block, please email time@misteriosos.org.)-- You don't need to bring anything except for enthusiasm (and maybe bottled water and a camera).-- Location announcement, as always, will be sent the night before at 11:59pm.

Sign up and help us preserve the past, save the present, and ensure the future!

Water Gun 2011: The Battle for Boston

Date: June 18th 2:00PMLocation: Register to find out!

Start your summer right, with the Banditos Misteriosos 4th Annual Water Gun Fight! Reenact the secret origin of Boston’s history, the epic battle between the Back Bay Swamp Creatures and the Revere Horse Men. As everyone knows, the aftermath of this battle resulted in the signing of the Boston Constitution.

Staying true to Boston's historical roots, this water gun fight will focus on these two legendary forces, locking horns on the field of battle.

For all the highlighted images from last year's battle, the Clash of Ages, click below:

Army Assignment:Participants will be asked to register for the Swamp Creatures or Horse Men by June 17 at 6 PM. Simply go to the registration page, enter your email (and a friend's to be on the same team), and click “Register!”

The night before the event, emails will be sent out with your mustering location.

Uniforms:All participants will be asked to wear a shirt with their army's color. Of course, we always welcome additional accessories, but your team color shirts allow your fellow soldiers to identify you.

Supplies:- 1 water gun of your choice- Filled two-liter bottles (for refilling your water gun)- 1 backpack to hold water bottles- Your fighting vigor and a love of Boston’s history

Rules:Please be aware of electronics during this event; if you see someone with a camera or camcorder, please don't fire at them. Please don’t bring balloons or anything other than regular water for the guns. Also, remember we are using public property; let's be nice to it.

Everything will make sense when you receive your location email on the 17th.

Gift Swap Location Announcement

Date: December 18th 2:00PMLocation: Greenway at Milk Street

Choose Your Own Holiday Gift Swap Location Announcement

Location: The Greenway at Milk StreetMore Specifics: Directly across from the Aquarium and the Harbor Garage. How to Get There: Blue line to Aquarium or Blue/Orange line to State. More Specific Google Map:Here!

Hope you are excited. This holiday only comes once a year, or ever. Depending on the holiday you are choosing...

See you at 1:55PM! We'll be the really obvious looking ones...

Choose Your Own Holiday Gift Swap

Does this number mean anything to you? Well, according to the Department of Labor (and Wikipedia), there are 52 national holidays every year. That's a holiday for every single week, and well, we want to celebrate that all those holidays exist!

Thus, in honor of holidays, and most importantly, presents, it is with pride that Banditos Misteriosos announces our Choose Your Own Holiday Gift Swap. This event is akin to our gift swaps of the past, but, now we are opening the floodgates.

There are so many holidays and celebrations out there, so it is up to you to choose your favorite. Or, even make up your own. Anything goes. Groundhog Day. Christmas Part Deux. Parking-maid Appreciation Day...the possibilities are practically endless.

We're sure you can even find or create a holiday that the exciting workers at the Department of Labor overlooked.

Gifts:The gift should not be bought in any fashion. We are quite pro-DIY, so have fun, be creative. Or, you are welcome to share something you found which was really neat and free.

Above and Beyond:If you wish, your gift may have a relation to your holiday. Additionally, you are invited to dress the part if you feel inclined. This is not mandatory at all, but, if for some reason you have a groundhog outfit…

Wrapping Details:The greatest part of getting a gift is unwrapping it, thus, we are asking that every gift be wrapped! But, in the spirit of being environmentally responsible, we ask that all gifts be wrapped in old paper products. Anything from old wrapping paper to outdated Seventeen magazines are fair game. Of course, some gifts might be difficult to wrap, but that's the challenge!

Bows are of course great.

When:December 18th, 2:00PM

Where:Location will be announced at misteriosos.org on December 17th, 11:59PM

Swapping Instructions: It's pretty straight forward!

Participants will be asked to arrive no later than 1:50pm. Once at the announced area, you will see Banditos. It will be obvious who they are. Merely walk up to them and receive instructions. At 2:00 trading will commence.

As always, spread the word. Imagine how sad the United States Constitution would be if no one showed up for its own holiday…

Uniforms:For the past: blacks and grays. We also encourage you to dress as specific warriors from your half of the timeline. For example, musketeers or cavemen.For the future: primary colors. We also encourage you to dress as specific warriors from your half of the timeline. For example, cyborgs or alien overlords.

Location:Meet up location for the PAST --...> http://bit.ly/9qH9dh and meet up location for the FUTURE --> http://bit.ly/9zOgCO.

Supplies:- 1 water gun of your choice.- At least 3 FILLED two-liter bottles (bring more if you desire!) - 1 backpack to hold water bottles. - As always, your fighting vigor and a bandana.

Rules:Please be aware of electronics during this event. If you see someone with a camera or camcorder, please shy away from getting them wet. Also, we like public property. Lets be nice to it.

CYOA 2010 Location Annoucement

Hola Banditos,

Without further ado, here are the final details for Choose Your Own Adventure!

Start Time:There is no official start time for this event as we will be sending out groups over the course of an hour. None-the-less, please arrive anytime between 1:00 and 2:00PM. (Showing up at 1:30PM or 1:59PM is completely fine.)

Team Setup:Teams will be formed on-site, but if you already have a group, merely show up with everyone and we'll take it from there!

Shirts:This has nothing to do with the event, but, we just released our limited edition cloudy shirt! Just $15 and all proceeds go to keeping events such as these free. Also, you get to be both inconspicuous and hip at the same time. A must have for anyone's wardrobe.

Choose Your Own Adventure 2010

Date: July 17th 1:00 - 2:00 PMLocation: TBA July 16th @ 11:59 pm

Hola Banditos! It's that time of year again, when the sun is shining, the college students leave, and Banditos Misteriosos have their annual Scavenger Hunt! But something's a little different this year. We decided that, instead of doing our usual straight-forward Boston-based scavenger hunt, we'd be introducing a new kind of twist that we're pretty excited about. And we hope you are too.

Do you remember reading Choose Your Own Adventure novels when you were but a baby Bandito? You know, where you were given a choice of action at the end of each page of narrative and the decision you made informed the story that unfolded? Well, have we got a treat for you. We've created a story that unfolds in real time at locations across the city, and the decisions that you and your team make influence the story that you'll experience. A priceless Bostonian artifact has been stolen and it's up to you to gather the clues, interview the suspects, fulfill the challenges, and find it so that you may return it to its rightful owner.

Specifics:- We ask that all participants register beforehand, so that we have some idea of numbers and teams. Fill out our handy dandy registration form and you'll be on your way! As before, teams of 8 to 10 people will be made on-site, so you don't have to worry about coming with a team. >>Registration form- This event isn't about competition, it's about creating a story with your teammates and solving the puzzle. As such there is no definite start time - teams will start their story on a rolling basis, from 1 to 2 pm. Feel free to show up anytime within this hour, and take your time with the mystery!- You don't need to bring anything except for enthusiasm (and maybe bottled water, it'll be hot out).

Pillow Fight Day 2010 - Recap

Date: April 3rd 3:00PMLocation: Cambridge Common, Harvard Square

On April 3rd, 2010, Boston was one of over 130 other cities internationally to participate in World Pillow Fight Day. It’s our favorite holiday – there are no fireworks, you don’t get to eat a turkey dinner, but when else can you join your fellow Bostonians in a wanton free-for-all pillow fight?

Over 1,500 people joined us in Harvard Square for the fight. Cambridge Common mysteriously swelled from a few people enjoying a beautiful Saturday to swarming and expectant. Many people fulfilled our request to keep their pillows inconspicuous for as long as possible, creating a game we like to call “Pillow or Pregnant?”

Young and old, costumed and incognito, tall, short, skinny, families and collegians, everyone waited with bated breath for 3 pm. And then, at the signal – chaos.

After that, it was all quite simple. Hit or be hit. Protect your comrade. Above all, battle with honor.

For over an hour you fought valiantly, and well. We were proud of our chosen city of Boston. Alas, all good things must come to an end. But we hope you remember the fun we had together and join us next year for Pillow Fight 2011!

Pillow Fight Day - A Success!

Hola Banditos,

Thanks so much for coming out to International Pillow Fight Day 2010! All agreed it was a huge success. We saw giant bananas and pink gorillas, sang along to Bohemian Rhapsody, enjoyed the glorious weather, and made sure to leave Harvard cleaner than we found it :) Easily 1,500 people showed up to duke it out, a Boston record and hopefully a national one as well!

An official recap is on the way on what we are proud to present as our NEW and IMPROVED website!

This site has some super cool new features, including a place you can tell us about any pictures or videos you've uploaded onto facebook, flickr, youtube, or any other website. And since we REALLY want to see all the cool pictures and videos you guys took today, take a second and give us the url using our "link your media" application, and we'll post all of it in a centralized location for everyone to share!

Thanks so much to all of you for making this year such a blast. We'll see all of you at our next event.

Mysteriously yours,The Banditos. <3

Location Announcement

Attention, Banditos! The forecast for tomorrow is a sunny 70°F and we have over 3,700 RSVP's - this is shaping up to be one of the BEST pillow fights EVER!

Come enjoy the beautiful weather as we bombard each other with pillows in Cambridge Common in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Just take the red line or one of many buses to Harvard Square and walk up Mass Ave. Location link -> http://bit.ly/pillowfight

Remember!

- No feather pillows please- Try to avoid hitting cameras, glasses, and people without pillows- Costumes, get-ups, and any sort of silliness are highly encouraged- Remain as inconspicuous as possible until you hear the signal at 3 pm, then rush in and do battle with your brethren!

For the optimal effect, try loosely centering around the statue designated by the dots below.

We also ask that everyone bring a garbage bag to aid with clean-up after the event. Cloudy loves keeping his community clean!

See you there at 2:55! Viva Banditos!

Pillow Fight Day 2010

Date: April 3rd 2:55PMLocation: TBA

Banditos Misteriosos is proud to announce that once again, Boston will be participating in World Pillow Fight Day!

Last year, over 70 cities worldwide participated in the First Annual Pillow Fight Day, with over 1200 Banditos of all ages battling it out in Boston.

Boston was the 3rd largest Pillow Fight in the world, right behind NYC and San Fran. And its happening again this year. This time, let's try to place in 1st!

This is just a short list of the over 70+ cities taking part in this event.Date: Saturday, April 3rd. 2010.

Time: 3:00PM, at the sound of the airhorn (Show up at least 5 minutes early)Place: TBA on Banditos Website (misteriosos.org) on April 2nd at 11:55PM

For those who don't know about these pillow fights, they are quite fun and simple!

Show up at 2:55pm, remain inconspicuous to the best of your abilities. Hide your pillow in bags, big jackets, random trees.

At 3pm, you'll hear the very obvious signal, rush in and pillow fight away.

The rules for this pillow fight are pretty straight forward:

1. Bring a pillow, a soft one is preferred.2. Don't hit anyone without a pillow3. If you are wearing glasses, make sure you take them off.4. Don't hit people with cameras5. No feathered pillows - let's keep the mess low.6. Go all out!

Costumes are of course encouraged. This event is child-appropriate!

Invite your friends, family and co-workers. Spread the word! Last year was a great turnout, let's put Boston on the World Pillow Fight Map!

*There will be a signal when everyone should rush in at exactly 3pm!**Try to come 5 minutes early and remain inconspicuous, this event depends on everyone going in at once!

Build a Snowmandito

Date: To Be AnnouncedLocation: Boston Commons

Aloha Banditos!

You'll notice we used the word "aloha," because now that it's wintertime in our fair city, we're attempting mind over matter. If we talk and dress like we're in warmer climate, we won't be so cold... right?

Ok...so a quick step outside makes it clear that New England weather cannot be conquered by mere nice, warm thoughts. And thus it is with pride that Banditos Misteriosos announces our Build-a-Snowmandito!

The event is pretty straight forward, our goal is to make a garden of snowmen in the middle of the city.

But we're going to try something different with this event.

Since building a snowman depends on well, snow, the exact date of Snowmandito will all depend on the weather. Thus, instead of picking a date and announcing the location the night before, we're going to tell you the location and announce the date the night before.

Hopefully weather will co-operate and everything will fall in line!

Event Details

Date:The event will be on a Saturday or Sunday after a particularly good snowfall. We'll send an email on the Friday or Saturday before. Be prepared!

Additionally, if you would like, please do let us know what you received!

Very Merry UnBirthday Gift Swap

Date: December 6th 2:00PMLocation: Copley Square

Birthday parties are nice. But, it's always about the gifts. Thus it with pride that Banditos Misteriosos announces its Very Merry UnBirthday Gift Swap!

For those that went to last season's Freeform Gift Swap (click for link), the initial premise is somewhat similar, but this time we are celebrating a birthday - yours! We will be providing the ambiance, music, and other such goodies; all you need to bring is a simple gift.

The only condition is that this gift is homemade. We are pro-DIY. Participants are asked to not bring anything purchased in a store. Of course, these gifts do not need to be masterpieces of work and time, just take a walk on the creative side. Macaroni of course makes a great constructive medium.

Consider this a Yankee Gift Swap mixed with your 4th grade birthday party... minus the clown and the minivan-carpools.

Trust us, we throw great birthday parties. And you are invited.

All the details under the cut.

Gift Details:The gift should not be bought in any fashion. Glue, tape, scissors, musical mixes are enough to bring any idea to life.

We can't all be artists, but we can all utilize our arts and crafts skills of years past to put together something neat.

Of course, be creative! You don't want to be that friend who showed up with a re-used hallmark card.

Wrapping Details:The greatest part of getting a gift is unwrapping it, thus, we are asking that every gift be wrapped!

But, in the spirit of being environmentally responsible, we ask that all gifts be wrapped in old paper products. Anything from old wrapping paper to outdated YM magazines are fair game. Of course, some gifts might be difficult to wrap, but that's the challenge!

Bows are of course great.

Location:The party location will be announced on Saturday at 11:59PM.

Swapping Instructions:It's pretty straight forward!

Participants will be asked to arrive no later than 1:50pm.

Once at the announced area, you will see Banditos wearing blue shirts and bandanas. Merely walk up to them and receive instructions. At 2:00 trading will commence.

Besides that, everything is pretty much all set. Good luck in your gift construction!

As always, spread the word! It's not a birthday party, if your friends aren't there to celebrate with you.

Getting older is awesome, soon you'll be able to stay up past 8:00PM.

Share Your Media!

Today's battle was a success! Over 450 soldiers rushed the battlefield to take part in the Second Revolutionary Water Gun Battle. Full of water balloons, umbrellas ans a surprise French army, it was a skirmish that would have our forefathers proud. We hope you had all had fun.

If you have any pictures/videos, please do share them with us through the media uploader in the menu!

Once again, thanks for helping put on an awesome event. Stay tuned for news for our next event!

*Photo Credit - Theresa Conn

Registrations Sent

Army assignments have been sent out over e-mail. Get ready for the battle!

Consider this event the combination of a good old fashioned water gun fight and the revolutionary battle of our forefathers.

Staying true to Boston's historical roots, this water gun fight shall focus on two armies, marching and meeting each other for a battle in a specific location.

Specifics:

Date:Saturday, August 22nd - 1:30PM

Location: TBA in registration email.

Army Assignment: Participants will be asked to register for event before August 21st, at 6:00PM

If you are signing up multiple people, we ask you do it one at a time. If it is a large group, if you could place their names and email addresses in a spreadsheet and email it to us, we'll take care of it! contact@misteriosos.org

The night before the event, emails will be sent out with army assignment and meet up location.

Rules:Please be aware of electronics during this event. If you see someone with a camera or camcorder, please shy away from getting them wet. Also, we like public property. Lets be nice to it.

Other:If you have any marching drum/flute experience or if you have in your own possession, a revolutionary soldier outfit, please do e-mail us as we would love to talk to you! - Don't worry, instruments and professional outfits will not get wet- contact@misteriosos.org

Besides that, its pretty straight forward.

Everything will make sense when you receive your enlistment email on the 21st.

It's hot out, so lets have a good old fashioned water gun fight! Spread the word, call your Sons and Daughters of Liberty to arms! Let's do Sam Adams and Lord Cornwallis proud!

Scavenger Hunt 2009

Date: July 11th 12:00PM

Over 550 participants (some locals, others from outside the States) made up 60+ teams which ran all over Boston competing in various activities, solving riddles and taking pictures.

Suggestions/Input/Praise/Constructive Criticism!

We value your input! Let us know what you liked about this years Scavenger Hunt. What went well, what you think we should change for next year and so forth! Additionally, the planning board is an open committee, so anyone can join and help organize our future events. Merely contact us and let us know.

As always, we hope you had fun, and stay tuned for the announcement for our next upcoming event!*Photo Credit - Fenna Krienen

Boston = #2! Pillow Fight = Marriage!

The numbers are starting to trickle in and it seems Boston had the second largest pillow fight in the world this past Saturday!

In other news, the word on the street is that someone got proposed to in the middle in of the pillow fight! Pillow Fights = Best place for romance and engagement!

World Pillow Fight Day 2009 = Success!

Easily over 1,100 Banditos swarmed Christopher Columbus Park, pillows swinging and battling it out with pillows and feathers! Children ran around, panda outfits jumped into the mix, feathers were mistakingly eaten... it was an all around great event!

This placed Boston as the the second largest pillow fight in the world, out of over 70 cities. An extra shout out to all those brave volunteers who stayed after to help clean up!

We'll see you at our next event, and most definitely at next years pillow fight.

As always.

<3,Misteriosos.

Pillow Fight Day 2009

Date: April 4th 3:00PMLocation: Columbus Park

Banditos Misteriosos is proud to announce that once again, Boston will be participating in World Pillow Fight Day.

Last year, over 16 cities worldwide participated in the First Annual Pillow Fight Day, with over 600 Banditos of all ages battling it out in Boston. And its happening again this year. This time, with more cities.

Monster Mashup

Date: October 25th 12:00PMLocation: Columbus Park

On October 25, 2008, over 100 Banditos Ghosts braved the sunlight and crowds, showing up to do what ghosts do best, dance. This time though, they followed the cues of pumpkins, witches and tombstones while listening to a customized Halloween Monster Mash-Up.

Participants were first given a very mono-tone instructional dance video to watch a week before the event:

Then, on a cloudy and unseasonably warm Saturday, October 25th, ghosts flocked to Christopher Columbus park in Boston to boo-gey.

Revolutionary Water Gun Battle 2008

Date: August 16th 12:00PMLocation: The Esplanade

The Revolutionary Water Gun Battle was a true success.Â Over 375 Banditos swarmed the Esplanade for an all out battle. Speeches were given.Â Muskets were loaded.Â And yes, Robots with bubbles stormed the field.

Sometimes pictures speak louder than wordsâ€¦

The Recap.

Our nation was born of an epic clash between the colonists who lived here and the British who ruled over them.Â In the tens of decades that have passed since independence, the city of Boston has remained peaceful.Â Untilâ€¦ the British and Colonists met again on the Esplinade on Saturday, August 16th.Â This time, they did battle with water-guns.

Participants signed up via email ahead of time, and were assigned a side.Â Depending on the army they belonged to, Colonists wore blue:

Â

And the British, of course, wore red:

Each side was led by a fearless general:

Â

The battlefield was set

Then went back and egged on their troops on, directing them to attack.

And attack they did!

The water battling was merciless!

Â

Â

Just when it was starting to seem like the armies could not go onâ€¦

They were visited by three strangers:

The mysterious visitors had come from THE FUTURE!Â In their time, they were known as â€śrobots.â€ť

These â€śrobotsâ€ť had come in the name of peace.Â They brought with them bubbles of peace:

The robotsâ€™ message of peace was quickly adopted by both sides of the armyâ€¦

â€¦ but eventually abandoned.

Â

Â

The water war continued until all resources were exhausted!

Â

Â

A good time was had by all:

A great time was had by all.Â A big thanks to all those who showed up, engaged in a fun-filled battle and helped cleaned up afterwards.Â To all those brave photographers (such as: polarbare, inatizzy, chickenbut789, inatizzy, ittoku [aka eddric lee], fillingthev0id, tomtheman5, etc), thanks for helping document the mayhem.Â

*Front photo credit, by Tom-5â€ł

Scavenger Hunt 2008

Date: June 28th 12:00PM

On June 28th, 2008, over 400 Banditos, making up 43 teams, swarmed all over Boston, taking part in the First Annual Boston Scavenger Hunt. The hunt was one part Barter Challenge, one part Persuasion and one part Riddle-Solving.

All participants were asked to meet up at Boston Common, where teams of 8 were randomly assigned, to keep with the Bandito philosophy of getting to know your fellow Bostonian. Groups of friends were allowed to stick together, but they were quickly absorbed into their larger group of other fellow participants.

The hunt had three parts:

Part one - The blob Each team was given the goal of getting the largest number of random strangers to join in their group. The largest group would be awarded at the end.

Part two - Paperclip bartering Each team was handed a paperclip that they could trade for another item, the team with the best resulting item would win this said competition.

Part three - The Hunt The style of the Scavenger Hunt was passport based. With each team being handed a passport that had 14 riddles on it. Teams were tested on their ability to think abstractly, and more importantly, their knowledge of Boston. Once the riddle was solved and they arrived at the given location, all teams were asked to take part in a themed activity. Once this task was complete, they were given a stamp and sent along to find the next clue.

Pillow Fight Day 2008

Date: March 22nd 12:00PMLocation: Copley Square

On March 22nd, 2008, Boston was invited alongside 21 other cities to participate in International Pillow Fight Day. Over 600 brave souls, some traveling all the way from California, showed up in Copley Square, in a somewhat stealthily fashion, armed with pillows to do battle. Flags waved. Pillows exploded. Feathers flew.

Silent Dance Experiment

Date: February 3rd 1:00PMLocation: Faneuil Hall

On Saturday, February 23rd, over 300 Banditos swarmed outside Faneuil Hall, wearing sunglasses and acting inconspicuous. They were also, unknown to the rest of Boston, carrying a digital music player loaded up with a custom MP3 complete with instructions for activities and dance moves.

Pillow Fight Day 2007

Date: December 15th 1:00PMLocation: Boston Commons

Thus, on Saturday, December 15th 2007, at 1pm, over 150 Banditos participated in Boston's first mass pillow fight.

The rules were pretty simple:

1. Bring a pillow! A soft one is preferred!2. Only hit those who are holding pillows!3. Arrive early and remain inconspicuous until the timeof battle (1pm!), then rush in!4. Spread the word. Bring your friends Bring your kids!

Boston is a playground. Banditos Misteriosos is the city's mysterious playmate. We are an organization dedicated to bringing Boston alive with a slew of activities that are free, open to everybody and most importantly, just a little bit out of the ordinary. Here's how to get involved: